Chicken Soup For The Soul
by QTR
Summary: Grissom and Sara discuss where their relationship stands over the phone after the events of 8x12. Spoilers for 8x12. Oneshot, GSR. Pure fluff.


**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI or any of its affiliates. The privilege goes to Anthony Zuiker, Jerry Bruckheimer and other important people.**

**Author's Notes: I got the idea for this oneshot after watching 8x12 tonight. It's pure GSR fluff because I miss it and I am still suffering from AJFS (Absent Jorja Fox Syndrome). I hope you guys enjoy it :)**

Grissom entered his apartment with a long sigh. It had been a long day, his pneumonia wasn't gone yet and Hank had wanted to take an extra long time around the block before returning home. He stepped through the doorway and leaned down to remove Hank's leash, who thanked him with an appreciative swipe of his tongue on his hand before going to lay down on his favorite pillow.

He walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, wiping the sleep from his tired eyes. Maybe he would read a little before bed to help calm his nerves. There was still some leftover chicken soup in the fridge, so he could warm it up for dinner before bed.

The sound of his cell phone ringing made him groan mentally and his tired muscles groan in protest physically. Why couldn't Conrad leave him alone? He had already been dragged out of bed by an overzealous defense attorney who for the life of him he couldn't even begin to understand and now he was going to get another call? And besides, he was using his sick leave which he never used, and--

He looked at the caller ID and instantly all thoughts of Ecklie and Maddie whats-her-name left his mind. The display read "SARA".

He couldn't help the smile cross his tired features as he flipped the phone open and brought it to his ear. "Hi," he answered throatily, laying down on the couch to get comfortable. He wasn't sure why he answered the phone that way-- was it because he was still sick or was it because he felt he could still seduce her all the way from Vegas?

"Hey." She sounded exhausted and frustrated. "I swear to God Gil, the woman is driving me nuts. Now I know why I left California to go to college."

He couldn't help but chuckle a little at that. "I see you and your mother picked up right where you left off."

"Ugh, don't get me started," he could practically hear her roll her eyes over the other line. "She won't stop asking about you and why I haven't introduced you to her yet. I've gotten the 'You're my baby and I want to meet him' lecture almost fifty times now."

"She sounds like you," Grissom smirked, and he could sense that the look on her face was priceless. "Stubborn to the bitter end."

"I am going to pretend I didn't hear that." Her tone was angry, but strictly in a playful manner. "So anyways, how's the case going? It sounded like a pain."

"It was," Grissom nodded, scratching Hank's belly who-- as soon as he realized who it was Grissom was talking to-- had managed to worm his way between him and the couch for a belly rub. "It's closed now, thankfully. I don't think my head could take much more of that."

"I wasn't talking about the case being a pain."

Grissom raised an eyebrow in confusion, his hand stopping in mid-scratch to which Hank let out an annoyed whine. "You mean Maddie? Sara, you know I didn't want to get out of bed in the first place. She wouldn't stop calling so I had to do _something_. All I did was help with the case."

"Gris, it's fine," he could hear her quiet giggles over the other line. "I was just kidding. I trust you."

He let out a silent sigh of relief, before resuming Hank's belly rub. "Well I'm glad to hear that. And to answer your questions, yes, she was a pain. I can understand her frustration and her position, but I was not in the current mood to deal with it and pneumonia at the same time."

"Are you feeling any better?" Sara asked, her voice full of concern. "You never get sick."

"I'm congested, but honestly I think I'm feeling better," he couldn't help but smile. The silence that followed informed him that she wasn't thoroughly convinced. "Honey, really, I'm fine. I'd be a lot better if you were here with me, but I've got Hank here and an entire pot of my mother's chicken soup in the refrigerator."

"I'm glad," she told him. "I've been worried about you."

"So have I," he replied. "And so has Hank. Actually the entire lab has been worried about you."

The thought of her friends worrying so much about her warmed Sara's heart and she smiled. "I'll have to email them later and let them know I'm still alive. Is Hank right there?"

"Yes he is," Grissom replied, and as if reading Sara's mind held the phone next to Hank's ear. He didn't hear what Sara said but whatever it was was enough to make Hank let out a happy bark once he recognized her voice. "I think he says 'hello'," Grissom informed her when he took the phone back.

"Sounds like it," she giggled. The line grew silent for a minute before she spoke again. "Gil, I wanted to talk to you about something. I meant to after I left but I guess I just never got the chance, what with my mother and all."

"Go ahead, Sara," he told her.

"It's about the proposal. I mean... we were both so happy that day, and then I left without saying anything about it, and... I wanted to apologize."

"It's okay, Sara," Grissom replied, unsure of where this line of conversation was going. "I understand. It was too sudden, I know. _I_ should be the one apologizing."

"I still want to, Gil." Her comment threw him off-guard and she immediately thought she said something wrong and scrambled to find the right words. "I-I mean if you still want to, of course. I just didn't want to ruin the wedding with my insecurities. I thought it would be better if I laid those fears to rest before we set a date. I didn't want to ruin it for us."

"...Of course I still want to, Sara," Grissom replied, a smile prickling at the corners of his mouth. "And it makes me the happiest man in the world to know that you feel the same. There's nothing that I would want more than to spend the rest of my life with you."

"Me too," Sara replied, and Grissom could tell her voice was beginning to break with pent-up emotion.

"Are you okay, Sara?" Grissom asked.

"Yeah, of course," she laughed a little, sniffling over the phone. "I think I'm just tired, is all."

"How about you get some sleep, then," he stated, rather than asked. "I'll call you tomorrow. I think we could both do with some rest."

"Okay." It was rare that Sara ever agreed to sleep without protest, even with Grissom. "Let Hank know I said goodnight," she told him, a long yawn following her words.

"I will," Grissom chuckled. "Goodnight, honey."

"Goodnight, Gil."

The phone clicked and Grissom flipped it shut, looking up at the ceiling with a smile on his face. Suddenly he wasn't tired at all and all his worries about the case seemed to just disappear. His pneumonia even seemed to go away.

Tomorrow he would find the ring. In a few months Sara would be back home.

And soon they would spend the rest of their lives together.

THE END


End file.
